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Wall of Separation

Introducing Our Summer 2017 Interns

This summer, we are proud to welcome eight interns to Americans United. They come from across the country and are all excited to be spending the summer in Washington D.C., working to advance the cause of church-state separation.

Courtney Marsh, Advocacy Intern

About me: I’m a rising second year at the University of Chicago, majoring in public policy. Being from a small town in Texas, I have enjoyed getting to live the big city life in Chicago and am grateful for the opportunity to see what D.C. has to offer this summer. In the future, I plan on continuing my work in non-profits, focusing specifically on education and advocacy for disadvantaged or typically marginalized groups.

Why AU? I’m working for Americans United because I support AU’s mission to protect the fundamental principle of church-state separation. I believe that it is our duty as citizens to treat others the way we want to be treated and speak up when we see injustices and rights being infringed upon – Americans United does this and more.

Rachell Mosquera, Advocacy Intern

About me: I’m a rising junior at Sarah Lawrence College, concentrating in writing and sociology. I am from New Jersey but a true New Yorker. I’m excited to be exploring D.C., a city which I’ve never been in, and taking advantage of all the free museums.

Why AU? I decided to apply to AU because I wanted to continue working for non-profits and continue my advocacy. I love the feeling that I am contributing to a positive change in the world, and AU was the perfect job for it. It is interesting learning more about secular government and the important role it plays in our society and why we should continue to promote it.

Sam Hainbach, Communications Intern

About me: I’m a rising senior at Brown University, majoring in religious studies. This summer, I’ll be spending my free time continuing to play tourist in the city I was lucky enough to grow up in!

Why AU? I’m working for Americans United this summer because I care about my religious community, the American Jewish community. That community is stronger and safer when any and all theology is kept out of legislation, and when our government treats all religious groups equally.

Brenna Culliton, Legal Intern

About me: I am a rising second-year law student at American University Washington College of Law. In 2016, I graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in political science. In my free time this summer, I plan on continuing to explore and become acquainted with this beautiful city and all it has to offer.

Why AU? Because working for AU means invoking positive change on a daily basis. AU works tirelessly to ensure that religious freedom—and everything that comes along with it—is protected, and it is inspiring to see so many people work hard and come together to achieve that common goal.

Jessica Rodgers, Legal Intern

About me: I’m a rising second-year law student at Georgetown University Law Center. This year, I’ll serve as a Legal Writing Fellow for the incoming class of 2020, a board member of the Anti-Corruption and Anti-Money Laundering Law Student Association, and will hopefully join a journal as well. In my spare time, I enjoy playing with my dog/child Mini, working out and practicing yoga (in my former life, I was a yoga instructor!).

Why AU? Thomas Jefferson wrote in his now-famous letter to the Danbury Baptists that the American people, through the First Amendment, built “a wall of separation between Church & State.” It’s up to our generation to ensure that this wall remains intact, and indeed, fortified, against attacks, both current and future. Being a legal intern with AU allows me to contribute to this important effort.

Jeffrey Bishop, Legal Intern

About Me: I’m entering my final semester at New York University School of Law. I’m happy to be back in Washington, D.C., where I studied, lived and worked prior to law school.

Why AU? I’m working for Americans United this summer because I believe that everyone should be able to live and love in accordance with the dictates of his or her own conscience. Our pluralistic democracy functions best when we embrace our diversity, not when we force our beliefs on others.

Madeleine Scott, Legal Intern

About me: I’m a rising fourth-year at the University of Chicago majoring in history. I am originally from Pittsburgh, and I love to dance!

Why AU? As a student of U.S. history, I see the often-surprising extent to which church and state have been entangled in our nation’s past and present. Given this history, I admire AU’s work to build and maintain a wall of separation and consider it a vital public service.

Genevieve Mesch, Legal Intern

About me: I’m a rising second-year student at Georgetown University Law Center and a graduate of the University of Colorado, where I studied political science and psychology. This summer, I’ll be spending my free time hiking in Shenandoah National Park, kayaking on the Potomac and exploring the D.C. area!

Why AU? I’m working for Americans United this summer because I want to help safeguard the constitutional promise that everyone is free to worship, or not, as their conscience dictates. That ideal of religious freedom can only be delivered through religious tolerance in our public institutions and a commitment to separation of church and state.